After losing consecutive games for the first time since 2021, the Dallas Cowboys have left the Philadelphia Eagles in pole position to secure the NFC East division title for the second straight season. The 11-4 Eagles know that if they win their two remaining games in the 2023 regular season, they will be NFC East champions whatever the 10-5 Cowboys do.
Who do the Cowboys and the Eagles still have to face?
The Cowboys host the Detroit Lions in Week 17 on Saturday, before visiting the Washington Commanders in Week 18. Meanwhile, the Eagles welcome the Arizona Cardinals to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, then close out their regular season on the road against the New York Giants.
Dallas and Philadelphia have both already made sure of their place in the NFL playoffs. The Cowboys are currently the fifth seed in the NFC, while the Eagles are second in the conference standings as things stand.
What do the Cowboys need to do to win NFC East?
Dallas are likely to need to win both of the games they have left to have any chance of leapfrogging Philadelphia. Indeed, if Mike McCarthy’s men fail to beat the Lions this weekend, an Eagles victory over the Cardinals will secure the division title for Nick Sirianni’s team with a game to spare.
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If the Cowboys win their remaining games and the Eagles lose both of theirs, Dallas will top the NFC East with a 12-5 record that would be one game better than Philadelphia’s 11-6.
If the Cowboys win two out of two and the Eagles lose one and win one, or if the Cowboys win one and lose one and the Eagles lose two out of two, the teams will finish with identical win-loss records. In such a scenario, tiebreakers would be required.
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The Cowboys lost to the Miami Dolphins in Week 16.Jasen VinloveUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
What happens if Cowboys and Eagles finish with same regular-season record?
The first tiebreaker used by the NFL is teams’ head-to-head records. This won’t separate the Cowboys and the Eagles, because they each won one of their Week 9 and Week 14 meetings.
The second tiebreaker is teams’ record against division opposition. The Cowboys and the Eagles are also level on this score at present, as they both head into Week 17 at 4-1 against NFC East sides. They each face a team from their division in Week 18, potentially offering the Cowboys a way of pipping Philadelphia to the NFC East crown. If both teams get the same result this weekend, a win for Dallas over the Commanders next week would give them the edge on this tiebreaker if the Eagles lost to the Giants.
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The next tiebreaker the NFL turns to is teams’ results against common opponents. As things stand, the Eagles are 7-3 on this score, with two games against common opposition left. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are 7-4 with one common opponent, the Commanders, remaining.
It would appear, however, that this tiebreaker cannot be used to separate the Cowboys and the Eagles: in any scenario in which either has a better record in this department, either the second tiebreaker would come into play first, or no tiebreaker would be needed at all. The teams can end up with the same overall record and common-game record, though. This will happen if: the Eagles win and lose, and the Cowboys win both games; or if the Eagles lose twice, and the Cowboys beat the Lions and lose to the Commanders.
This would take us to tiebreaker No. 4, a scenario in which Dallas would win out: the teams’ records against teams in the NFC. The Cowboys and the Eagles are tied at 7-3 so far, and both play conference opposition in their last two matches. So were the Texas franchise to win one more of their remaining two outings than the Pennsylvanians, they would take top spot in the NFC East.
Lions vs Cowboys: when, where, how to watch?
The NFL Week 17 clash between the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys will be played today, Saturday 30 December 2023, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:15pm ET/5:15pm PT.
In the United States, ABC, ESPN, and ESPN+ have the broadcast rights to the game. You can also stream the action on fuboTV, which offers users a free trial.
Still image taken from video of stranded passengers waiting for help in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, United States, on Saturday, 11 January, 2025. Photo / Carina Fischer
“Everyone went crazy in the plane. It was bonkers. Everyone was yelling, and at the end, the pilot made the announcement and everyone started chanting ‘new crew, new crew’,” Ruhlman.
“I have to go to work. I’m obviously not going to be able to work on Monday. I was supposed to arrive in Auckland on Friday morning,” Ruhlman said.
Carina Fischer, of Remuera, described the scene in the terminal as “a nightmare”.
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Fischer said: “Everyone is crying. Kids are screaming.”
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She said a relative had helped her buy a hotel room, but she had been washing her clothes in the sink and drying them with a hairdryer.
She was also worried about her child who has ADHD, saying he was without his medication as well.
She claimed American Airlines was “not helpful, not helpful at all”.
Ruhlman echoed that sentiment: “They literally don’t care that they ruined people’s holidays and so many plans – and sanity.”
She said a group of passengers were planning to write to the airline’s chief executive asking for compensation.
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“I’m so tired and still in my same clothes as Wednesday. It’s Monday …”
American Airlines was approached for comment on Saturday, but had yet to respond by Monday morning.
The flight, American Airlines 55, was due to leave the US on Wednesday, but after several false starts, the passengers were still waiting in the terminal on Saturday morning. Photo / Carina Fischer
Another passenger, Sarah Botwright was due to be in New Zealand for a holiday to see her friend, said she had to be home in Ohio and she would likely have to cancel her whole trip to Godzone.
“My luggage will be going to New Zealand regardless of whether I go or not, though,” she said.
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“It’s just insane,” she said of the situation.
Local daily paper the Dallas Morning News reported more than 600 flights to and from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field had been cancelled as of 5pm Friday (12pm, Saturday, NZ).
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More than 800 flights were also delayed. American Airlines flights were the most impacted by the delays, the Dallas Morning News said.
The paper said the delays were due to a snowstorm in North Texas on Thursday which left a dumping of snow and icy conditions.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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Dallas Stars (27-13-1, in the Central Division) vs. Ottawa Senators (20-18-3, in the Atlantic Division)
Ottawa, Ontario; Sunday, 5 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Stars -138, Senators +117; over/under is 5.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Ottawa Senators host the Dallas Stars after the Stars defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout.
Ottawa has a 10-7-1 record in home games and a 20-18-3 record overall. The Senators have gone 11-5-2 in games their opponents commit more penalties.
Dallas has an 11-8-0 record in road games and a 27-13-1 record overall. The Stars have gone 13-6-1 in games their opponents commit more penalties.
The matchup Sunday is the second time these teams square off this season. The Stars won 4-2 in the last matchup. Roope Hintz led the Stars with two goals.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Joshua Norris has scored 14 goals with nine assists for the Senators. Ridly Greig has four goals and one assist over the past 10 games.
Jason Robertson has 10 goals and 24 assists for the Stars. Wyatt Johnston has four goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Senators: 4-5-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.6 assists, 4.4 penalties and 10.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Stars: 8-1-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.6 assists, 2.4 penalties and 4.8 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
INJURIES: Senators: None listed.
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Stars: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
DALLAS — Volunteers laced up their sneakers and beautified Dallas’ Fair Park neighborhood Saturday morning as part of the MLK Fest Dallas 2025, which aims to reduce blight and promote public art.
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Volunteers started off at the MLK Community Center and were assigned to clean up one of eight zones in South Dallas. People mowed grass, renovated homes, and painted a mural.
“It brings community together. A good friend of mine says community and unity are common unity, so we love all of it. We just want to be able to revitalize this place and give the community a sense of pride or ownership and give that back to all,” said Paul Franklin, community outreach director with the Walls Project.
Hundreds of volunteers braved the cold and came together for the large-scale community cleanup. The event brought together people from non-profits, churches, and businesses. The event aims to clean up blight while honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
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“This is just another part of how our community celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, to exemplify how important that is and how that connects us all to each other,” said Shawna Nesbitt, vice president of UT Southwestern Medical Center.
UT Southwestern Medical Center had about 160 volunteers who signed up. One of their projects included painting a mail room and bike rack at an apartment complex. Volunteers also picked up trash, cleared weeds, and spoke with those experiencing homelessness.
“I’m going to speak to the people that we see that are possibly unsheltered in tents and inform them of the center here at Fair Park that just recently opened the shelter,” said Jeremy Connally, an owner with the Epiphany Foundation.
The day ends with a block party at the MLK Community Center and a gala at the Renaissance Center.
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